Sunday, March 25, 2012

Calumet Trail

The Calumet Trail runs 10 miles through Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. It parallels US-12 and the South Shore railroad, with powerlines overhead, so it is not a tranquil wilderness path. There is, however, plenty of nature in the woods and marshes alongside the trail. On a ride last week, I heard Sandhill Cranes and Red-winged Blackbirds calling. Spice bush flowers brightened the understory with even brighter Marsh Marigolds blooming underneath. On the trail itself, I saw a Woodcock (dead) and a little Brown Snake (alive).The surface of the trail is crushed stone, so it wouldn't work for rollerblades or racing bikes. There were major drainage problems on the day I visited with extensive deep puddles covering big stretches of the trail. Frogs swam in the bigger ones and water striders skated across the surfaces of many.

I started at Cowles Bog and planned to ride to the trail's end near Mount Baldy. It was wet enough that I gave up about halfway and enjoyed a ride on some quiet streets along Lake Michigan. More info on the Calumet Trail from Indiana Trails Community or Indiana Trails.org

Chuck Stull

I teach economics at Kalamazoo College. My wife is also an economist. We were on sabbatical in Europe for the 2014-15 academic year. (Salamanca, Spain, followed by Oxford, UK.) We were in Uruguay for the 2006-7 academic year.